WHY PRIORITISING WORKS
Working off the last metaphor, imagine that each of the balls were assigned a £ value. One
ball is worth £1000, three are worth £100, and five are worth £1.
You are told that if you are able to juggle as many balls in the air for one minute, you will win the assigned value of the balls. The only catch is if any of the balls touch the floor at any given point, you will win nothing.
Which balls would you choose to juggle?
Obviously the £1000 ball, and if you’re a seasoned juggler, maybe a couple of the £100 ones. But
why not play it safe and just hold the most valued £1000 ball for one minute? The smartest strategy seems pretty obvious, but most people do exactly the opposite when it comes to their tasks and priorities. They pick up all of the balls, toss them up in the air, and scramble to keep them from dropping, splitting their attention by treating the important and trivial tasks as equals.
ball is worth £1000, three are worth £100, and five are worth £1.
You are told that if you are able to juggle as many balls in the air for one minute, you will win the assigned value of the balls. The only catch is if any of the balls touch the floor at any given point, you will win nothing.
Which balls would you choose to juggle?
Obviously the £1000 ball, and if you’re a seasoned juggler, maybe a couple of the £100 ones. But
why not play it safe and just hold the most valued £1000 ball for one minute? The smartest strategy seems pretty obvious, but most people do exactly the opposite when it comes to their tasks and priorities. They pick up all of the balls, toss them up in the air, and scramble to keep them from dropping, splitting their attention by treating the important and trivial tasks as equals.
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When faced with the decision to complete a task, ask yourself, “Is this action getting me closer to my goals?” If not, have the self-control to choose NOT to do it. Prioritising takes a little extra thought and effort, but if done right, this extra step will pay dividends.
It may be hard to hone in and focus on what’s important, so I’ve designed this planner to give you a space every week and every day to determine what you should be focusing on during that time period. Each day, ask yourself: “If I could only do one thing today, and still feel like my day was successful, what would it be?” and write it in your “Today’s Focus” box. Aim to get your “Today’s Focus” task done every day and you will find yourself living a happier and more fulfilling life. |